News

Chanukah ended with a big celebration outdoors in Forest Hills. Bicycle stunts on ramps, a DJ, the lighting of an 18-foot menorah, and hundreds of chocolate coins and mini-parachutes tossed from a 30-foot FDNY Tower Ladder were just part of Chabad of Forest Hills North’s Seventh Annual “Chanukah on the Park,” which took place on Sunday, December 5. Hundreds attended, many of them children.

Rabbi Yossi Blesofsky, director of Chabad Lubavitch of Northeast Queens, once again brought out the crowds for a spectacular Chanukah menorah lighting ceremony, now in its 27^th year. Graced with the presence of Congresswoman Grace Meng, State Senator John Liu, NYC Council Member Paul Vallone, Assemblymembers Ed Braunstein and Nily Rozic, and NYC Council Member-elects Linda Lee, Vickie Paladino, and Sandra Ung, Rabbi Blesofsky ascended via a cherry picker to the heights of the menorah for the formal lighting. Lynn Schulman expressed her delight with the program but was unable to attend.

“I am still in shock,” admitted Victoria Zirkiev to the Queens Jewish Link about the antisemitic attack she and her husband Shalom experienced while deplaning in Florida. “It was just insane.”

A central part of Chanukah are our community’s children. Rabbi Mendy Hecht of Chabad of Forest Hills North held a Chanukah Disco to spread the light of Chanukah this past Sunday morning, December 5. “The kids were literally glowing like crazy,” said Rabbi Hecht. The event brought together all the elements of a glow-in-the-dark dance party with glowing cupcakes, and a glowing dreidel spinoff. Children who are part of the CKids of the Arts joined other neighborhood Jewish children for the program.

On the fifth night of Chanukah, a public menorah-lighting took place on the Queens College campus, hosted by Chabad On Campus of Queens and the QC Hillel.

This past Sunday, Cunningham Park was the site of the third annual Light Up The Night - Community Chanukah Celebration for the Jamaica Estates, Hillcrest, Holliswood, Hollis Hills, and Fresh Meadows areas. The idea was launched three years ago by Rabbi Shmuel Kogan, a Jamaica Estates resident. The rabbi desired to create an annual event that brings together the over 12 shuls in the Jamaica Estates and surrounding areas for Chanukah.